Machine fob worming



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

P. MCLAUGHLIN, OF CAMDEN, MAINE.

MACHINE FOR WORMING, PARCELING, AND SERVING THE RIGGING 0F VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 20,287, dated May 18, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK MGLAUGH- LIN, of Camden, in the county of Waldo and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Machinery for Worming, Parcel'ing, and Serving Rigging, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine; Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, -6, details to be referred to hereafter.

The rope used for the standing rigging of vessels and other purposes where it is much exposed to the weather and to wear is generally covered. This is done by first laying spun yarn spirally around the rope in the interstices between the strands, and called worming. A covering of canvas put on by winding narrow strips around the rope is next applied. This is called parceling, and over this a continuous length of yarn is wound closely, the turns being in contact with each other. This is called serving.

To construct a machine to perform these operations with neatness and despatch is the object of my present invention.

That others skilled in the art may understand and use my invention I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried out the same.

In the drawings A is the bed of the machine, to which are secured two ways B, having on their upper edges the racks C, by which the carriage D is fed along. Studs a (two at each end) projecting from the lower side of this carriage slide in grooves b in the inner side of the ways B and steady the carriage in its movements. From the carriage D, rise the posts E, F, G, H, I, and K which are braced together and steadied by the top brace L. Through suitable bearings in these posts passes the shaft M, to which the power for operating the machine is applied. To a crank on the end of this shaft is attached a pitman c, which is connected by a rod d, to a short shaft 6, supported in two blocks f, rising from the carriage D. Another rod 9 rises from the shaft 6, and has pivoted to its outer end a pawl it that passes through a slot in the end of the carriage and engages with a ratchet wheel N. The shaft which carries this wheel has its bearing in the two studs a beneath the carriage, and carries at each end a pinion O, which engages with the stationary rack C. Thus as the shaft M, is revolved the shaft 6, is vibrated and the pawl 71, feeds one notch of the wheel N, for each revolution of the shaft M (the length of the rods d, and 9, may however be varied so as to feed two notches if required). The revolution of the wheel N, moves the carriage along in the direction of its arrow. Two pinions similar to 0, support the rear end of the carriage.

To one end, of the bed A, is secured a Windlass P and from the other end rises a gallows Q, to which the rope to be operated upon is attached after being passed through the machine. The windlass serves to draw the rope up taut, and keep it straight and stiff while being operated upon.

The mechanism by which the rope is laid will now be described.

The mallet R has a hollow shaft through which the rope S, to be laid passes. This shaft is carried in suitable boxes 70, in the posts E, and F. It has secured to it a cogged wheel T, which engages with a wheel V, on the shaft M, and is thus revolved. From one side of the mallet R project two stanchions i which support the spools Z. These spools carry the spun yarn m, to be laid in the strands of the rope S, and the number of spools in use at any time will correspond to the number of strands in the rope (in the drawings to prevent confusion but one is shown occupied). Holes 1, 2, 3,

4, are made in the mallet one opposite to each spool. Through each one of these (as at 3,) is led a yarn m, from the spool Z. These yarns are passed through into the hollow shaft of the mallet and the ends are brought out of the shaft between the posts F and G, where they are attached to the rope S, one being laid in each strand of the rope. A guide block n (detached in Fig. 6) is inserted in a slot in one side of the mallet R and passes through to the inside of the hollow shaft. Its inner edge is grooved to partially embrace the rope and is furnished with diagonal grooves 1, 2, 3, 4:, whose inclination and distance apart correspond in a measure to the lay of the strands of the rope. The yarns m, are received in these grooves and are pressed by the block n, against the rope and are guided by it each into its proper space between the strands and are around the rope and the yarns m, are laid in between the strands of the rope, one yarn for each strand, in a regular and unlform manner, and the rope is wormed. As the spools Z are emptied they may be removed to be filled or replaced by full ones, the ends of the fresh yarns being connected to the others. The rope after being wormed is parceled in the following manner: Between the posts G, and H, is placed a mallet V, thev hollow shaft of which has its bearings in these posts and carries a cogged wheel W, which is driven in the direction of its arrow, an intermediate gear 0 engaging with it and with a gear p on the shaft M. This mallet, shown detached in Fig. 2, carries a spool g, on which the strip ofcanvas or parceling r is wound. It has cut in one side two diagonal slots 8 and 9 and in the side next the spool a larger slot in which is inserted a guide block 8, detached in Fig. 5, which is adjustable and is held in place by a screw 10 passing through a small slot in the mallet. One edge of this block is cut away in an inclined notch 11 (see Fig. 5,) which gives the proper cant or inclination to the parceling to make it lie around the rope with its edges just overlapping. The parceling r is led from the spool 9, through the slot 8, and out again through the slot 9, then around through the slot in which the block 8, is inserted, the stuff passing between the block and the side of the slot and through the notch 11, into the hollow shaft, whence it is brought out between the posts H and I, where it is attached to the rope S to be parceled. Thus as the carriage advances and the wheel W, is revolved in the direction of its arrow the mallet V, is carried,

around the rope and the parceling is wound on in a direction counter to that in which the worming was laid, (it may if preferred be wound in the same direction by changing the gears which revolve the .mallet V.) When the spool g is emptied it may be removed the same as the spools 1. After being parceled the rope is to be served with spun yarn or other small cordfor this purpose, I employ another mallet X (shown detached in Fig. 8) placed between the posts I and K, the hollow shaft of whichis supported in suitable boxes in these posts. It carries a gear t which engages with a cog wheel Y, on the shaft M. I This mallet carries a spool u, on which theserving yarn v is wound. It is led from the pulley through a hole in.

a strip 12 on one side of the mallet, thence through a slot 13, which is cut entirely through the mallet, then over a pulley or sheave w attached to one side of the mallet, then again through the slot 13 into the hollow shaft, whence it is led out beyond the post K and is attached to the rope S. An

adjustable guide block y (detached in Fig. 4) is inserted in a slot in the side of the mallet opposite the spool, and is retained in place by a screw 14:, (Fig. 8) passingthrough a small slot. The edge 15 of this block rests in contact with the rope and is grooved out a little to make it lie snug. A tongue 16 projects from one end of this block over the part which is already served and forms a shoulder 17 against which the yarn is pressed and which compels it to wind regularly around the rope without riding or leaving spaces between the turns.

The boxes is, in. which the hollow shafts of the mallets revolve are made slightly adjustable in height in the posts, that the rope may be kept central in the shafts, notwithstanding that the varying thickness of the rope wound over the windlass P, would vary the position of its center, or the'height of the windlassjmay be made adjustable for this same purpose. V

The manner described ofreeving the yarns and the parceling through their respective mallets is intended to apply the requisite degree of friction to draw them sufiiciently tight around the ropebut it is evident that other means may be employed for this pur pose, for instance by applying friction to the spools.

The operation of this machine is as fol-. lows: The rope S, is lead from the windlass P throughthe hollow shafts of the mallets and is secured to the gallows Q. It is then drawn taut by the windlass. The .mallets being supplied with yarn and parcelingas before described the machine is set in motion, when the carriage D, will be fed along in the direction of its arrow. Then' as" the mallets are revolved as indicated by their respective arrows. the'worming will be put on by the mallet R asbefore described. The

carriage then travels along until the part of the rope that has been wormed passes throughbetween the posts H, and I,'when the end ofthe parceling is attached, and

the mallet V continues to wind the parceling around over the worming. Then as the carriage progresses farther and the portion of the ways B, the pawl h, is lifted andthe carriage is run back toward the gallows Q,

the finished portion of the rope being taken up on the gallows and a fresh portion being paid out over the Windlass.

The ways may be of any convenient length.

When the machine is first started there will be a short piece of the rope extending from the post F to the gallows which will not be operated upon. If it is required to serve it all the way to its end, another rope may be attached to it to lead it through the hollow shafts of the mallets, when the worming may be commenced close to the end of the rope S.

The speed of the several mallets may be varied by changing the gears, or the speed of the carriage may be changed to suit the difi'erent sizes of the rope or of the spun yarn and parceling.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The above described machine, consisting of an arrangement of devices for worming, parceling and servin r rope in combination with suitable devices for holding and straining the same, operating in the manner substantially as described.

PATRICK MQLAUGHLIN.

Witnesses JAMES ANDREWS, ROBERT MCLAUGHLIN. 

